Welt for boots or shoes.



G. F. DUNN.

WELT FOR BOOTS OR SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED 33.23, 1909.

983,544, Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

witnesses I Mentor idmu $9 6M 2801296110107111.

THE NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, |.7v c,

invrrn' STA ES PT FFICE.

GEORGE F. DUNN, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM B. ARNOLD, OF NORTH ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WELT FOR BOOTS OR SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb; '7, 1911.

App1ication filed February 23, 1909. Serial No. 479,303.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. DUNN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in VVelts for Boots or Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to welts for boots and shoes as an article of manufacture.

In order that the principles of the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosed one illustrative embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan View enlarged of the top side of a welt embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the sole side of said welt; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but representing the welt as having an applied shoulder; Fig. 4: is an inner edge view of the welt shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating one manner of using the welt embodying my invention.

"Welts for boots and shoes have, previous to my invention, been made of indeterminate length and sold as articles of manufacture for use in Goodyear and hIcKay boots and shoes. Such welts have been provided upon their inner edges with projections or teeth, as shown for example in the patents to illiam B. Arnold, No. 646,592 and No. 674,881. lVhile welts constructed in accordance 'with said patents have been found eflicient for the purpose intended, my present invention seeks to improve the same in some respects.

The welt embodying my invention has a specially formed inner edge permitting the body portion to be curved around the toe of the boot or shoe flatwise without tendency to bulge or deform and also permits the said inner edge to bend laterally at a suitable angle to the body part without any difiiculty or special manipulation. By making the inner edge of the welt of reduced thickness the proper application to the boot or shoe is greatly facilitated.

So far as I am aware, a welt has not here tofore been provided with teeth or projections tapering in longitudinal section. Such formation still further facilitates the ready application of the welt to the boot or shoe, while preventing the deforming action referred to. It is important that the teeth or projections be of determined size. If the welt be cut into beyond the determined line of the roots of the teeth, it is apparent that the stitch anchoring portion of the welt is impaired, thus seriously interfering with the proper securingof the welt to the shoe. The teeth or projections of the welt shown in the patent to Arnold, No. 674,831, are cut by blades moving longitudinally of the welt, and hence danger exists that the welt will be cut into too far from the edge in forming the teeth.

In the practice of my invention, I not only taper the teeth in longitudinal section and preferably uninterruptedly, but I also form them by blades moving transversely to the welt, thus preventing the engagement of the blades with the welt back of the determined root line of the teeth. Moreover the teeth are more readily and inexpensively and rapidly formed in this manner and the tapering of the teeth is readily accomplished by merely relatively inclining the blades and the welt at a proper angle.

For the purpose of anchoring the stitches by which in Goodyear work the welt has been secured to the insole, it has been common to provide a longitudinal channel or groove along the sole face of the welt, thus forming a shoulder against which the stitch brings up when tightened. of this ridge or groove has not only been an expensive one, requiring the use of special machinery, but it has weakened the welt by reducing its thickness at this point.

In the practice of my invention I apply a shoulder to the sole face of the welt in any suitable manner, but preferably by forming the same as a line of stitching extending lon gitudinally of the welt, although in certain embodiments of the invention a strand, such as a thread or cord, may be itself sewed or otherwise secured to the welt, and may be used in conjunction with or independently of the stitched shoulder.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the welt of suitable material is indi- The formation with teeth 2-2, etc., 3-3 etc.

' cated at 1, it being preferably made of indeits faces. In order to impart to the teeth a tapering formation in longitudinal section I employ suitable blades having a relative transverse movement with respect to the welt and adapted to engage the same preferably along the determined root line of the teeth and suitably inclined relative to the welt to impart the proper taper to. the teeth. It is apparent that the tapering formation may be imparted at any suitable time, as for example simultaneously with the slitting above referred to. Preferably certain of the teeth are tapered as described by sloping them from one of the faces of the welt, the remaining teeth being tapered by sloping them from the opposite face. In the present embodiment of my invention alternate teeth are oppositely sloped as shown. Preferably the teeth are tapered without shoulders. The outer edge of the teeth may be of any desired thickness.

The described alternate formation of the teeth readily permits them to be overlapped in the application of the welt to the edge of the boot or shoe and particularly to that part thereof passing about the toe.

The welt so constructed is preferably provided with an applied stitch anchoring shoulder 4t therein shown as a line of chain stitching extending longitudinally of the welt. Such shoulder not only provides stitch anchoring means, but subserves other important functions entirely apart from such feature. The teeth are thereby held against displacement in the application of the welt, and are, moreover, positioned, being substantially secured together if the line of stitching or otherwise applied shoulder be secured along the roots of the teeth. hen applied in such position the inner edge of the welt is rendered sinuous in vertical section, thus facilitating the application of the weltto the bootor shoe. Moreover the line of stitching serves to reinforce the welt as Well as the teeth.

In Fig. 5 I have represented a Goodyear boot or shoe wherein the insole 5 is provided with the usual stitch receiving and retaining channel 6 and shoulder 7, the latter receiving the edge of the upper 8, the welt 1 having been applied thereto in the manner indicated in said figure. The several parts are secured by through and through stitching as indicated at 9, the applied shoulder a serving as a guide to direct the Welter in stitching as well as to anchor the stitches, as clearly indicated insaid figure.

It is apparent that a welt constructed in application to the work while at the same time permitting the overlapping of the teeth in the manner described. The applied shoulder of whatever character not only serves as a teeth reinforcing means, but also as a teeth positioning means while at the same time serving as a guide to direct the welter in stitching.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims.

1. As a new article of manufacture, a welt of indeterminate length having one edge only slitted wholly through at intervals normal to its faces and edges to form, wholly separated rectangular teeth, each tooth being tapered to a thin outer edge positioned parallel to the faces of the welt.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a welt of indeterminate length having along one edge a stitch anchoring shoulder, said welt. having the said edge slitted wholly through at intervals normal to its face and also normal to its edges to form separated rectangular teeth, each tooth being tapered in longitudinal section to a thin outer edge positioned parallel to the faces of the welt.

3. As an article of manufacture, a welt having one edge transversely slitted to form teeth, a number of said teeth each having one face lying substantially in the plane of a surface of the welt and the entire opposite face sloping toward it, and the remaining teeth being of similar but reversed formation.

4. As an article of manufacture, a welt having one edge transversely slitted to form teeth rectangular in cross section, each tooth having one sloping face and alternate teeth being of similar but reversed formation.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a welt of indeterminate length having adjacent one edge an applied stitch anchoring shoulder, said welt being of substantially equal thickness from said shoulder to the opposite edge, said welt having the edge adjacent said stitch anchoring shoulder slitted Wholly In testimony whereof I have signed my through at lntervals and normal to its name to thls specification 111 the presence of faces and edges, thereby to form separated two subscribing Witnesses.

rectangular teeth, each tooth at its base be- GEORGE F. DUN 5 ing of substantially the full thickness of the Witnesses:

welt and being tapered to a thin outer edge IRVING U. TOWNSEND,

positioned parallel to the faces of the Welt. MAY H. LOWRY. 

